inly betrayed her resentment, that
Blanche and Rose were frightened at the expression of her face, which
had now grown purple with fury, as with agitated voice and wrathful
glance she exclaimed: "It was your dog that killed him!"

"Oh, madame!" said Rose; "we had nothing to do with it."

"It was your dog that bit Spoil-sport first," added Blanche, in a
plaintive voice.

The look of terror impressed on the features of the orphans recalled
Mrs. Grivois to herself. She saw the fatal consequences that might arise
from yielding imprudently to her anger. For the very sake of vengeance,
she had to restrain herself, in order not to awaken suspicion in the
minds of Marshal Simon's daughters. But not to appear to recover too
soon from her first impression, she continued for some minutes to cast
irritated glances at the young girls; then, little by little, her anger
seemed to give way to violent grief; she covered her face with her
hands, heaved a long sigh, and appeared to weep bitterly.

"Poor lady!" whispered Rose to Blanche. "How she weeps!--No doubt, she
loved her dog as much as we love Spoil-sport."

"Alas! yes," replied Blanche. "We also wept when our old Jovial was
killed."

After a few minutes, Mrs. Grivois raised her head, dried her eyes
definitively, and said in a gentle, and almost affectionate voice:
"Forgive me, young ladies! I was unable to repress the first movement
of irritation, or rather of deep sorrow--for I was tenderly attached to
this poor dog he has never left me for six years."

"We are very sorry for this misfortune, madame," resumed Rose; "and we
regret it the more, that it seems to be irreparable."

"I was just saying to my sister, that we can the better fancy your
grief, as we have had to mourn the death of our old horse, that carried
us all the way from Siberia."

"Well, my dear young ladies, let us think no more about it. It was
my fault; I should not have brought him with me; but he was always so
miserable, whenever I left him. You will make allowance for my weakness.
A good heart feels for animals as well as people; so I must trust to
your sensibility to excuse my hastiness."

"Do not think of it, madame; it is only your grief that afflicts us."

"I shall get over it, my dear young ladies--I shall get over it. The joy
of the meeting between you and your relation will help to console
me. She will be so happy. You are so charming! and then the singular
circumstance of your exact likeness